Metropolitan Arrangements - Philippine Institute for Development ...

68 ManagingUrbanizationUndera DecentralizedGovernanceFramework
opment and administrative region. Meanwhile, RA 7924, which is the
existing legal framework for Metro Manila, no longer recognizes its
corporate personality (unlike PD 824) nor allows for MMDA to create
corporations.
There are three notable reasons why it is advantageous for a
m_tropolis to have a corporate personality. First, it will be able to
advance economic interest should it require resources that are beyond
what it can immediately provide; for instance, via capital market
or through other financial arrangements with private institutions.
Second, a metropolitan corporation may address the issue of decentralization
versus re-centralization. For instance, acting as stockholders,
LGUs can more forcibly advance their own interests as well as
determine the functions of the organization and the manner by which
these capacities will be carried out. Third, a corporate structure gives
continuity to programs despite the limited tenure of local government
leaders.
Conclusions and Agenda for National Policy Action
The metropolitan area is the ultimate form of urban transformation.
Once an area reaches this stage, it becomes imperative that
the area should not be constrained to evolve an identity as a new
political and administrative unit. This will facilitate the formation of
an organizational machinery that is appropriate, effective and efficient.
This paper has shown concrete examples of this urban transformation
and how the emergence of this phenomenon in many urban
areas of the Philippines has necessitated new forms of administrative
structures. The metropolis is not a province, municipality or city. It is
rather a collection of all these and therefore requires unique planning
models and distinct legal laws.
Metropolitan planning and development is fast becoming a new
feature of local governance in the Philippines. While most of the
groundwork is undertaken largely by local governments themselves,
the national government plays a critical role, especially in providing
the legal framework and environment conducive to such undertakings.
The following is a list of some of the short-term and long-term
agenda for action in support of metropolitan development.
Review of basic laws supporting metropolitan devekrpnwnt
While the present Constitution has authorized the creation of
special metropolitan political subdivisions," it has delimited the ex-